“Put me on LeBron tomorrow,” Beverley said following Sunday afternoon’s win over the New York Knicks. “I’m guarding LeBron. One on one. No help.”

The throng of media members sprawled across the Clippers’ locker room chuckled. Even Montrezl Harrell, seated across the room, playfully yelled back, refuting the notion that Beverley was going to guard LeBron James. Beverley is barely 6-foot-1 and weighs only 185 pounds. LeBron is 6-8 and, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst on a recent podcast, close to 280 pounds. That’s a difference of seven inches and nearly 100 pounds.

Beverley is an All-Defense-caliber defender, but how could he possibly guard James?

He ignored Harrell’s remark and continued. Beverley then reminded the crowd about what he said before the season while comparing the Clippers and the James-led Lakers.